5 ways to protect your garden against rising temperatures

WITH temperatures set to sore around the UK and Met Office issuing an extreme heat warning, it's more important than ever to protect your garden and its content from the incoming heat wave.

The amber warning, issued around the UK has made creating shade and conservative watering essential.

Jack Sutcliffe, founder of Yorkshire based shed manufacturer, Power Sheds, has unveiled his 5 tips to help you protect your:- prize plants, fruit and vegetable patch, and garden furniture.

1. Move all container plants into the shade... Container plants are the 1st to dry out in a heatwave, you need to protect them from the sun or they will perish quickly. Moving them into the shade so they don't feel the full heat of the midday sun is an easy way to prepare your plants and pots for the rising temperature.

2. Do not over water your lawn... Lawns can become scorched during a heatwave, but there are things you can do to keep it looking thick and green. It will require minimal watering, once a week should do, and your mowing routine should drop to once a week. You should also adjust the blades on your mower to a higher setting to ensure the grass stems provide maximum shade for the soil.

3. Install air vent and use UV resistant varnish on your summerhouse... The biggest risk to plants in high temperature is the soil drying out, your 1st line of defence against this should be to use a layer of mulch around plants to help the soil stay moist after watering. There are many different mulch materials gardeners can use during a heatwave, dry grass clippings from your lawn are a great option.

4. Get the right pots for your plants... Getting the right pots is key in ensuring that your garden stay hydrated for as long as possible in the summer months. An unsealed terracotta pot can cause the water to evaporate a lot easier from the soil which will get the plant to dry and die a lot sooner. The best solution for this is to either get an already sealed terracotta pot or seal it with a specialised sealer. Same goes for black plastic pots that attract all the heat due to their colour. Opt for light coloured ones that instead will reflect the sunlight.

5. Water your plants early in the morning,,, It's not too late for plants that have wilted or turned brown during the heatwave. Watering them before the day gets extremely hot gives your plants chance to drink up. The next best time is once the day gets cooler during the evening.

Jack Sutcliffe, Founder of Power Sheds, also commented:- "While most of us love a summer of hot weather, heatwaves can put your garden and its contents at risk casuing havoc to your lawn. With temperatures set to rise to 32C in some parts of the country and Met Office issuing an amber weather warning, it's important you take the necessary steps early to protect your plants or it can be too late for them to recover. We recommend following the advice above so you can enjoy the hot weather knowing your garden is protected."

World famous prankster and TikTok record breaker Simon Brodkin stars at Southport Comedy Festival

DUE to overwhelming demand, renowned prankster, award winning Comedian and Lee Nelson, Creator Simon Brodkin, is extending his latest stand up show, Screwed Up, to over 100 dates; including:- Southport Comedy Festival this autumn.

Simon will be appearing at the festival at:- Victoria Park, Southport, on:- Sunday, 8 October 2023, with tickets on sale now.

Simon's latest comedy tour, which began on:- 23 February 2023, with 50,000 tickets on sale, is a critical hit and enjoyed a sold out run at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The new autumn leg of the tour includes dates in:- Southport, Brighton, Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Newcastle, Belfast, Dublin and Liverpool to name a few, and 4 extra dates at London's Leicester Square Theatre.

Screwed Up is set to be Simon's biggest national tour to date performing as himself, with the tour now running until November 2023.

This show, Simon's second as himself, is far more personal than his debut, and sees him explore his Russian ancestry, his recent ADHD diagnosis, and his relationship to fame; having made headlines all over the world with his notorious stunts while simultaneously being rejected by I'm A Celebrity for not being famous enough.

In Screwed Up Simon also rips into:- celebrity culture, social media, the Police, Putin, Prince Andrew and Jesus.

Nothing is off limits, including his own mental health, his family, his 5 arrests, and how he once found himself at an underground sex party.

Earlier this year "the world's most famous blagger" broke records on TikTok with his stand up.  He is currently the most viewed British comedian ever on the platform, gaining 39 million views with his most watched video. Across official social media channels, this video has been hugely popular with 73 million total views to date.

Star of Britain's Greatest Hoaxer (Channel 4) Simon hit global headlines multiple times for his high profile stunts, including handing:-

• Theresa May a P45 during her speech at the Conservative Party Conference
   

• Showering disgraced FIFA president Sepp Blatter with bank notes
   

• Surrounding Donald Trump at the opening of his golf course with 60 swastika emblazoned golf balls,
   

• Attaching a 25 foot sign to the side of Sir Philip Green's superyacht

Going on Britain's Got Talent as the ultra orthodox Jewish rapper Steven Goldblatt; fooling Simon Cowell and the other judges to win 4 'yeses.'

Britain's Greatest Hoaxer was nominated for:- 'Best Documentary' at the Monte Carlo TV Festival Golden Nymph Awards 2018 and has been watched online more than 40 million times.

Simon has performed and hosted as Lee on Live at:- the Apollo (BBC One), Sunday Night at the Palladium (ITV), The John Bishop Christmas Show (BBC One), Children In Need (BBC One), Channel 4's Comedy Gala and many more TV shows.

Simon has enjoyed numerous sell out tours across the UK in character as Lee Nelson and has also taken multiple solo shows to the Edinburgh Fringe, winning the Writers' Guild Best Newcomer Award for his debut show.

Simon's 1st show as himself, 100% Simon Brodkin, which premiered at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe, was a hit with audiences, enjoying a sell out run, and was selected by The Evening Standard as 1 of the 'Best Comedy Shows at the Edinburgh Fringe' and 1 of The Guardian's 'Shows We Recommend.'

The show went on an extended UK tour, with over 50 extra dates added to meet phenomenal demand for tickets.

For more information and Simon Brodkin tour press tickets, please visit:- SimonBrodkin.Com.